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Nuggets fall short in San Antonio

Spurs took control early in the first quarter

By Benjamin HochmanThe Denver Post

Posted:
11/17/2012 10:34:18 PM MST

Updated:
11/17/2012 10:35:04 PM MST

SAN ANTONIO -- Early in the fourth quarter Saturday night, with the Spurs already flirting with triple digits, Denver made (another) turnover and a courtside fan, within earshot of the Nuggets' bench, captured the calamity with one shout: "It just keeps getting worse!"

Has the bleeding stopped? The Nuggets allowed 16 3-pointers, committed 21 turnovers and, if you can believe it, lost the game, 126-100 at the AT&T Center.

Since 1985-86, only six other times have the Nuggets allowed an opponent to make 16 or more 3-pointers.

"We're searching, searching on both ends of the court, but I think San Antonio could have beaten almost everyone in the league tonight," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We were playing recovery all night long. But I don't think it's time to get crazy. We just need to find our confidence, play more serious, take each possession with a stronger attitude. We're playing a little immature."

Denver was still in the game during the entire national anthem and then the tip-off, but from there it was all over. San Antonio outscored Denver 33-15 in the first quarter and controlled the game with frightening precision.

Early on, Denver just looked sloppy. Lazy passes. Missed shots from around the rim. A shot-clock violation. At one point in the second, Danilo Gallinari tried to save a ball from under his own basket by, yep, throwing the ball under his basket. Danny Green scooped up the pass for an easy bucket.

The Nuggets' defensive effort of the 3-ball is offensive.

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In Denver's previous game, Thursday against Miami, the visiting Heat made 13 3-pointers, the most by an opponent this season. And entering the game, only four NBA teams allowed more 3s per game than the 7.5 averaged by Nuggets opponents. Well, by halftime Saturday, the Spurs had already made seven (on 13 attempts, 53.8 percent), capped off, fittingly, by a buzzer-beating left corner 3 off the unlikely hand of Tim Duncan.

San Antonio was 16-for-27 (59.3 percent) from 3-point range, better than its overall shooting percentage (53.4).

"We have to get back to playing Nuggets basketball, especially on defense," Gallinari said. "When we play good defense and outrebound teams, we usually win."

Nuggets guard Ty Lawson is the Nuggets' motor, and he has been sputtering. There was the 0-fer performance Thursday against Miami. And then Saturday at San Antonio, he finished with as many turnovers (five) as assists. He was 5-for-13 from the field for 13 total points. And as many Denver fans know, Karl adores the plus-minus statistic as a telling tale of someone's night. Well, Lawson was minus-29.

"I just need to attack more. I slowed down a little bit," Lawson said. "I'm just trying to find my rhythm."

Well, Duncan wasn't flashy (when is he?), but he had 14 points with a plus-23 rating, and more important controlled the Spurs' low-post defense, which kept Denver from getting in any rhythm down there.

So who was making the 3s? Who wasn't? Ginobili made five of them, missing just two. Patrick Mills and Matt Bonner, "The Red Rocket," each hit two.

And Green made three 3s, including two in a row during a huge push in the second quarter.

Before the season started, there was some debate, depending on the pundit, about which team would fare better, Denver or San Antonio. Well, a few weeks into this thing, the answer is pretty clear. The Nuggets are 4-6; the Spurs are 8-2. Yes, Denver has played the majority of its schedule on the road.

Up next for Denver is Memphis, at Memphis. And yes, the Grizzlies (8-1) are one of the hottest teams in the NBA.

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